Tortishells and Sparks
by Grasswing of Wingclan
Summary: Meet Sparkpaw of Flameclan, clan of the ginger pelted cats. All the clans are divided based on pelt colour and any tortishell cats are considered a curse. What happens when he meets someone everyone says you shouldn't and sees something that should've been secret? Adderclan challenge-Innocent Eyes.


**A/N: Hey guys! I am back with another Adderclan challenge. This challenge is about a kit/apprentice sees something that they shouldn't have seen. This is using some characters from my story idea called Patched. Each clan is a different pelt colour (Flameclan=ginger, Frostclan=white, Stoneclan= grey/blue-grey, Shimmerclan=Silver, Barkclan=brown, Amberclan=golden yellow, Spottedclan=leopard print/spotted and Nightclan=black). When a kit reaches four moons, they are taken to the clan in which their pelt colour is. You can have mates from other clans but no Tortishell cats. The "patched" ones are abandoned outside of the territory and left to fend for themselves. Tabbies or cats with white/black paws etc. are placed in the clan that their fur colour is mainly. So, I hope you guys like it!**

It had recently snowed and Sparkpaw was trudging through the deep snow in Flameclan territory. His ginger pelt stood out amongst the white landscape and he wished he was a Frostclan cat. Frost clung to the edges of his pelt and he felt cold to the bone. His mentor's words echoed through his head and he kept walking.

'No prey, no returning back to camp.' He was always expected to work twice as hard then the other apprentices because of his blood-line heritage. His sister was a "patched" along with his brother, his mother's sister and father's brother.

They had been abandoned just outside of the Flameclan border and Sparkpaw couldn't help but wonder what happened to his sister, Mallowkit. As he was trudging through the snow, he spotted not too far away a plumy rabbit. He licked his jaws and heard his stomach rumble. This should please Leafmist. He bent down as low as the snow would let him, and crept forward.

It was much difficult to move through the deep snow and also hiding his ginger pelt. He was about a fox length from the rabbit when its head shot up and its eyes met his. The rabbit must have known that it should run now or die, so it turned and hopped away. Frustrated, Sparkpaw leapt up and ran after the rabbit. Snow flew everywhere and his once cold body felt warmer now that he was moving more. He leapt over a large snow drift and continued to follow the rabbit.

As he got closer to the rabbit, the warmer he felt. Then, right before he could catch the rabbit, he felt his paw get caught on something and he tripped. He felt his face hit the cold snow and the warm vanished from him, leaving him cold. He looked up and saw that the rabbit was nowhere to be found. He let out a growl and shook the snow from his pelt. Ice clung to the tips of his whiskers and he felt frozen solid.

Odd, he thought. The sun was out and yet he felt as if he had fallen in the river, frozen. He looked up at the trees and spotted no birds anywhere. No noises sounded and Sparkpaw was worried. He was just beside the border and noticed fog covering the ground. Fog? What is fog here for? He padded forward and saw a Tortishell she-cat with large ears standing not too far away from him, the fog seeming to wrap around her. Her one green eye glowed eerily while her left eye was an empty socket, three jagged scars running over it.

As he looked at her, the air left light and cold, almost as if there was never warmth in the world. Nothing else moved around him, as if she had frozen time. Her name caught in his throat as he remembered the elder's tales about her. It was the Dream Bringer. She guided us land cats and gave us our destinies, our happiness, and despair. Usually if you saw her, it meant something bad would happen to you or your clan. She began to gracefully walk towards him, the fog following her. Sparkpaw wanted to turn and run but his paws felt rooted to the ground.

"Sparkpaw? Why are you scared of me?" she meowed and her voice sounded sweet yet powerful.

"Because the elder's said that if anyone saw you, it would be bad luck," he murmured and she gave him an odd look.

"Could you speak up please? I may have slightly large ears then you land cats but that doesn't mean I always hear better than anyone else," she purred and Sparkpaw nodded. He swallowed and repeated what he had said, but louder.

The Dream Bringer chuckled. "Is that why everyone except the Tortishell cats seem to fear me?" Sparkpaw shrugged.

"You don't seem as scary as the elders say you are," he replied honestly and she gave a small smile.

"Thank you."

Sparkpaw was surprised. She acted like a normal cat, not powerfully, fearsome cat. "I can't see why I am so scary. I bring you your dreams. I send the leaders and medicine cats their prophecies and messages and try to create your dream a reality," she murmured and gazed away from him. Then, a Tortishell cat ran up to the Dream Bringer and Sparkpaw felt a growl escape his throat.

"A Patched one! It is a monster!" he hissed and the Tortishell cat about the size of an apprentice looked at him.

"Sparkkit?" she meowed and he realized it was his sister, Mallowkit. When he had hissed 'a patched one' Dream Bringer's eye narrowed and she bared her sharp teeth. Her claws slid out and Sparkpaw gulped.

"How dare you call them monsters and freaks!" Sparkpaw looked scared, lowering himself to the snowy ground and blinked fearfully up at the mysterious cat.

"They are just like you! They are gifts to the clans from me!" she yowled and Mallowkit nodded, her eyes glowing a pale blue. "After the clans respected me, I gave them the Tortishell cats, the ones who looked like me. Instead, your foolish leaders thought they were cursed cats and casted them away!" Sparkpaw eyes widened as he took in everything she was saying.

"But-"

The Dream Bringer shook her head, her green eyes blazing like green fire. She twitched her right ear and Sparkpaw felt his mouth shut. "Bad stuff will happen and the clans you know will fall. Peace will disappear and fighting will break out between clans. You land cats have brought this suffering to yourselves," she warned, her voice echoing through the whole forest and it sent chills down the ginger tom's spine.

Then she faded and when the fog cleared, no one was there besides him. The air went back to normal and he could move his paws again. Oh no! I have to tell Foxstar about this! He turned and ran back to Flameclan camp, completely forgetting about what his mentor had originally told him.

* * *

A few moons had passed since the meeting with the Dream Bringer and Sparkpaw was nervous. If his sister was well fed taken care of, then did that mean the "patched" cats made their own clan? He was walking in the forest, finishing his last few things before he would be able to pass his assessment and become a warrior. When he was by the Amberclan border, he heard yowls and shrieks coming from in the territory.

Sparkpaw, worried about what might be happening, dropped his mouse he was carrying and stepped over the border. He looked behind him, checking to see if anyone else was watching before running deeper into the Amberclan territory. As he got closer to the camp, he saw blood was splattered everywhere. He slowed down and began to slink forward. He felt his paw step in something sticky and he looked down to see a puddle of blood turning his ginger paw scarlet.

He removed from the puddle and looked over the bush he was hiding behind. Cats leapt at each other, clawing and biting their enemies. Fur flew everywhere and Sparkpaw gazed around. Golden pelted warriors leapt at… Sparkpaw blinked and shook his head. It couldn't be!

"You and the rest of the clans will suffer!" a large Tortishell tom hissed and barreled over Goldenstar, the Amberclan leader. The Tortishell tom slashed open the leader's throat and watched pleased as the leader's body convulsed, blood oozing from the deep wound. "Night, night father," he spat and the leader lay limp. "They have learned their lesson!" the Tortishell tom yowled and the fighting stopped. The remaining Amberclan cats watched fearfully as the Tortishell cats walked out of camp, following their leader.

Two cats passed by the bush he was hiding behind and one froze, turning and looking directly at him. "Volefoot! I found an unwanted eavesdropper!" A Tortishell she-cat hissed and Sparkpaw stumbled backwards.

"D-Don't h-hurt me!" he stammered and the Tortishell she-cat chuckled.

"Well Sparkpaw, I suggest that we have to keep this between us," she growled and Sparkpaw was surprised.

"How do you know my name?"

The Tortishell smiled wickedly. "I've been talking to my sister, Hazelfeather. You know, I don't want to kill you but you are just going to blab to Foxstar about this." She raised her paw above his head, claws gleaming in the sun light. Sparkpaw squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain. This was my fault that I caused it! I deserve to die. He opened one eye and heard her screech as she was knocked over by another Tortishell tom.

"How can you think of killing your sister's only son?" he hissed and Sparkpaw scrambled to his paws.

He turned to run but was blocked by another tom. He swung his head around wildly, looking for a way to escape but they had circled him. The air began to feel thinner and even though it was Greenleaf and the sun was out, he felt cold. Mist began to cover the ground and one Tortishell cat-about the size of an apprentice- moved out of the way, leaving a gap.

Sparkpaw's instincts screamed at him to run but his brain told him to stay. The Dream Bringer began to walk towards him and Sparkpaw looked at her, scared at her for once. The elder's tales about her were true! "Sparkpaw. It is good to see you," she meowed calmly and Sparkpaw narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you here?" he spat and she gave him an emotionless look.

"These cats deserved none of the treatment you clan cats gave them. This is Dreamclan. The clan that wishes that the clans weren't based off pelt colours but your talents, like Thunderclan, Riverclan, Windclan, Shadowclan, Fireclan, Iceclan or Wingclan. Not these clans." Sparkpaw gazed around at the cats that surrounded him and for once, he didn't see brutal, angry cats. He saw tiny Tortishell kits that had been abandoned outside of their home and wanted to be respected by their families and clanmates.

"Don't kill me. I can help you!" Sparkpaw cried and Dream Bringer looked at him oddly. "I can help change the clans to how they were originally! You don't deserve this hatred at all. I was wrong at first to think you were monsters but aren't we clan cats the real monsters?"

Dream Bringer gave a faint smile. "I expect you to help my cats," she murmured and slowly faded.

"I will. I promise!"

**A/N: How did you guys like it? Was it okay? Dream Bringer is the one that cats believe in, almost like their Starclan leader. She would be the one who gave them dreams, who gave the Starclan cats prophecies to tell to their clan. Clan cats thought that if you see her, then you would be cursed. The only issue was she never met a non Tortishell cat who actually saw for what she was, a kind cat who was just like them in a way. .Hey, why not go and join Adderclan? They have fun games and challenges and XxSilverslashxX always is making sure that the forum is awesome!**

**-Grasswing.**


End file.
